Construction and operation op permanent railroads



(No Model.)

W. F. GOODWIN.

CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION OF PERMANENT RAILROADS, 650. No. 326,212.Patented Sept. 15, 1885..-

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' ilNrTE STATES ATEN Erica CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION OF' PERMANENTRAILROADS, dc.

SPECIFICATION formin part of Letters Patent No. 326,212, dated September15 1885. Application filed July 1 1884. (No model.)

To all whom itmay concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM FARR Goon- WIN, a native citizen of theUnited States, residing at Stelton, in the county of Middlesex and Stateof New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inRailroads and their Rolling-Stock, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to improvements in railroads,whereby larger wheelsare rendered practicable and greater speed attained than ever beforeknown; and its objects are to attain greater speed and safety in thetransportation of passengers and freight than is possible with any otherknown system of railroad transportation; and its mechanical constructionand organization consist in the adaptation of the roadway to theenlarged wheels, so that the guiding mechanism will guide and secure thetrain in its course safely at a speed commensurate, with the greatdiameter of the wheels when the latter are making the same number ofrevolutions as the wheels of the ordinary fast through trains on theordinary railroad.

The essential mechanism of my invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical transversesection of the improved roadway, showing the enlarged wheels M in theirproper position relative to their guide flanges or side rails, W, alsoshowing the inclined position of the guide flanges W and the relationsof the latter to the tread rails W and wearing treadrails S. Fig. 2 is asimilar view of the same, (on an extremely large scale in proportion tothe width of the track,) showing a slight modification of constructionand the mode otguiding and supporting laterally the extremely highwheels M, with the assisting horizontal guide-wheels G G, also a sectionof part of a carbox. Fig. 3 is a side view of the same, showing theimproved car in its proper position in relation to its guiding mechanism\V and tread-rail S.

Figs. 1, 2, and 3 show the wheels M mounted upon their guide-road insuch manner that they are guided in their course and prevented fromleaving their track-rails S without any sliding contact of the 'wheels Mor the body of the vehicle with the stationary. guide-road, except therolling of the bottom of the inside of the wheel M against the bottom ofthe guide-flange \V.

- It is essential that the gnideflange V incline from a vertical linefrom the inside of the wheel M, so as to clear all parts of the latterexcept the lower inside edge of the periphery-rim,which guides thewheel, in order to avoid sliding friction of the rim of the wheelagainst the guide at points above the margin of the tread-rail S andbottom of the guide W. When the guide-wheels G are used, the inclinedguide WV may be formed on the margin of the tread-railS, and the guidefor the wheels G rise up from the inside of the inclined guide, as shownin Fig. 2.

In all the figures of the drawings the improved guide rails or flangesare mounted upon and secured to common cross-ties by any suitablefastenings. (No fastenings are shown.) The ties are shown as coveredbetween the guide-fianges NV and even with the tops of the latter. Thecovering H is not essential to the working of the invention, butprevents obstructions from lodging between the tread-rails, and wouldpreserve the ties by keeping them dry. (Ties and covering H are notclaimed as new.) i.

The guides WV are braced with braces B. Any suitable means of securingthe guides would serve the purpose. (The braces B are not claimed asnew.)

The wheels M have flanges shown on the outside of their rims forconvenience of running the cars on ordinary rails about shops andsidings, but take no part in guiding the train at high speed, and wouldnot serve the latter purpose; and where the guide-flanges WV areemployed exclusively the flanges on the wheels M can be dispensed with.(They are not claimed as new or essential.) The drawings show the wheelsM connected with an axle, 0. Two axles O are employed, one to each wheelM, mounted in a frame, one in advance of the other, for the purpose ofaffording independent action to the wheels M when the latter are verylarge, the wheels M of one side of the train being slightly in advanceof their mates of the other side.

My invention consists,essentially,in guiding the train by means offlanges \V upon the inside of the tread-rails S or W, (instead offlanges on the rims of the wheels,) and adapting the guiding-flanges WVto the enlarged wheels M and the large-wheeled vehicles to theguiding-flanges WV, which latter project upwardly from the inside of thetread-rail S or WV, close to the lower side of the wheel M, and inclinedfrom a vertical line from the side of the wheel M, and extendingupwardly alongside'of the latter sufficiently high to act as a guidevertically as 'well as laterally and to cause the wheels M to return totheir trackrails S in case they should be lifted up from the latter byany cause and let fall again by gravitation, (arranged substantially asillustrated;) and the nature of my invention consists in the combinationand organization of enlarged wheeled vehicles with a suitable roadway insuch manner that the tread-rails S cannot break or spread or throw thetrain from the track, and in such manner that the wheels M cannot leavethe track-rails S laterally, and in such manner that the train is notliable to be impeded in its progress by running 011 the track or fallingupon or coming in contact with any-stationary object with any part ofthe train except the periphery-rim of the rolling wheels, and in suchmanner that a higher speed can be attained with greater safety than ispossible with the ordinary wheels'and roadways. Therefore the peculiarnature of the invention requires many changes from the plans ofconstruction and operation of the ordinary railroads and their vehicles,some of which are as follows:

It is necessary that the width of the track between the tread-rails S beincreased to correspond with the diameter of the wheels M. This changemakes it necessary that the wheels of one side of the train actindependently of the wheels of the other side. This is accomplished bymounting the wheels upon independent axles, the latter mounted in aframe, one in advance of the other, as before explained. (This, beingthe subject-matter for a separate patent, is not shown in the drawings.)

The increased diameter of the wheels M demands increased facilities forguiding and securing them to their track-rails S and in their coursewhile speeding at a speed commensurate with the diameter of the wheels;hence the guiding-flanges are necessarily placed upon the roadway,(instead of the rims of the wheels,) and the roadway so arranged inrelation to the wheels M and their vehicles that no obstructions couldfind lodgments upon the track-rail S to throw the train from the track.The guide-flange W, standing up from the edge of the rail S close to thewheel M, would prevent the wheel M from obstructing the train if itshould break its axle and fly off, and the wheels being independent, onewheel could be spared from the car without stopping the progress of thetrain, and if the rail S should break the rail W would sustain thewheels M and the train would proceed; butwith the plan of rails shown inthe drawings the rails are not liable to break, neither the axle, forthe reason that the cause is removed.

The journal-bearings can be supplied with unguent automatically by meansof oil-tanks situated in each car, and connected with the journal boxesby means of pipes, through which the oil flows by gravitation to thejournals and passes into a receptacle, from which it is returned bymeans of pumps to the tank.

I am aware that supporting-girders rising up between the treadrails andabove the latter,so as to bring their top flanges close to the axle orbottom of the ordinary car and engine on the ordinary elevated railroad,so as to catch the falling car on the top flanges of the girders andsupport and prevent it from turning over or falling down upon the trackor to the ground in case some accident should occur-such as the breakingof a rail or a wheel, or the wheels leaving the track-have beenpatented; but with such an arrangement it is necessary that someaccident shall occur before it is brought into use. It is not designedto guide the train and prevent any accident from occurring, but only tocatch and support a broken car or engine or prevent the train fromfalling from its elevated roadway in case it leaves the track or rails.In the above described arrangement the common rails and wheels are used.The latter, being guided by small flanges on their rims acting againstthe side of the rail, are liable (as often occurs) to run over and offthe rail, and no provision is made or contemplated to prevent thelatter. Therefore the wheels are small in diameter to prevent theirleaving the track, and the smaller the safer. Such an arrangement wouldnot serve to increase the speed and safety together, because enlargedwheels would leave the rails at the first attempt at great speed, andthe speed would cease, and only safety would be availed. Such anarrangement would not accomplish any of the purposes of my invention,and I do not claim anything of the kind. My invention prevents theoccurrcnce of such accidents as above enumerated, and dispenses with thenecessity of such an arrangement for supporting a falling car.

In my invention the girders necessary for supporting the track overspans are not employed to support a disabled car, or in any wise relatedto my improved guiding mechanism, except when the guide-wheels G G areemployed to act laterally against the sides of the high flanges orguiding sides W, which latter are provided for lateral guides, but willserve to strengthen the rail and support the latter instead of thecommon girder. Without the wheels G G an elevated guide-rail above thetread-rail could not be used to guide the train for the reason thatsliding friction would act like a brake to stop the car, and thefriction would generate intense heat instantaneously.

The essential construction and arrangement of my invention is to avoidsliding frictional contact of the speeding train with its stationaryguides or-roadway, and to avoid the possibility of the train stopping byrunning oii" the track, or obstructions lying on the rails to impede itsprogress.

While it is possible that the ordinary train can operate to advantage asto safety on my improved road, (constructed for the purpose,) it is notpossible that the enlarged wheels could operate on the ordinary railroadat the speed and with the safety contemplated for my improvement. Myinvention removes the impediments and dangers of higher speed inrailroad travel, and raises the limits of attainable speed to a pointabove the possible speed of the ordinary train on the ordinary railroad.

I do not claim anything ever before known 20 or used.

What I claim as my invention is 1. In a railway for quicktransportation, the rails S, combined with the guides W and wheels M, oflarge diameter, said guides rising from the margin of the rails to nearthe axles of the wheels, to insure the wheels against derailment whenrunning at a greatly increased speed, as set forth.

2. In a railroad for quick and safe transportation, the combination ofthe rail S and carrying rail or flange W with the guideflange WV,constructed and arranged in relation to the wheels M in the manner andfor the purpose substantially as described.

3. In a railroad for quick and safe 'transportatiomin combination withthe high guides W and high wheels M, the guide-wheels G G, arranged inthe manner and for the purpose substantially as described andillustrated.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 30th day of June, A.D. 1884.

WILLIAM FARR GOODWIN.

Witnesses:

E. M. MARBLE, G. S. HYER.

